Pregnant women still face discrimination on the job, report says

By Leslie Postal

Pregnant women still face discrimination on the job, despite a nearly 35-year-old federal law meant to protect them, according to a new national report released today. Some women -- particular those in low-wage jobs -- are denied job modifications and, as a result, are forced "to quit, are fired, or are pushed out onto unpaid leave," found the report by the National Women's Law Center and A Better Balance.

“Women make up almost half of the labor force, but all too often they are forced to make an impossible choice: risk their own health and pregnancy to keep a job or lose their income at the moment they can least afford it,” said Emily Martin, a center vice president, in a statement.

The report noted that many women work throughout their pregnancies with no need for job changes or accommodations. But it also found that some workers need some changes and that even minor ones -- like a store cashier sitting on a stool rather than standing -- are sometimes unfairly denied.